CH. 17 & 18 Study Guide Flashcards
What is Ozone in the Stratosphere considered?
Good, it protects against UV Rays
What happens as you go up in the atmosphere?
Density/Pressure decreases
What is responsible for ozone depletion?
CFC’s; useful as refrigerants, fire extinguishers, propellants of aerosol spray cans, cleaners for electronics, etc
What do thermal inversions do?
Trap pollutants (especially in cities surrounded by mountains)
Define: Coriolis Effect
North-south deflection of air currents of the convective cells resulting in curving global wind patterns called the doldrums, trade winds, and westerlies
Convective currents
contribute to climatic patterns
Hadley cells
convective cells near the equator
Surface air warms, rises, and expands
-Causing heavy rainfall near the equator
-Giving rise to tropical rainforests
Polar cells
convective cells nearest to the poles
lift air and create precipitation at 60 degrees latitude north and south
Conditions at the poles are dry
Ferrel cells
convective cells located between 30 and 60 degrees north and south latitude
- lift air and create precipitation at 60 degrees latitude north and south
What is the function of the IPCC?
It looks for evidence and impact of Climate Change
What is the composition of gases in the atmosphere?
Nitrogen- 78% Oxygen- 21% other gases- 11%?
List some natural sources of air pollution.
Volcanic eruptions, fires, winds/dust storm
List the sources of indoor air pollutants.
Sources: Insecticides, cleaning fluids, plastics, and chemically treated wood
List the effects of indoor air pollutants.
Effects: health risks like premature death, allergies, sinus infections, cataracts, asthma, emphysema, and heart disease.
List the sources and effects of Carbon Monoxide:
Source- incomplete combustion of fuel:
Vehicles, industrial processes, combustion of waste, and residential wood burning
Effects- risk to humans and animals because it can bind irreversibly to hemoglobin in red blood cells, preventing hemoglobin from binding with Oxygen
List the sources and effects of Sulfur Dioxide:
Source- combustion of coal for electricity generation and industry
Effects- sulfur in coal reacts with O2 to form SO2. In atmosphere, SO2 may react to form sulfur trioxide (SO3) and sulfuric acid (H2SO4) which can come down to earth as acid deposition.
List the sources and effects of Nitrogen oxide:
Source- combustion in vehicle engines, electrical utility, and industrial combustion
Effects- smog and acid deposition
List the sources and effects of Lead:
Source- industrial metal smelting
Effects- can enter food chain, accumulate in body tissues, cause nervous system malfunction, and many other ailments
Define: Criteria pollutants
Pollutants judged to pose especially great threats to human health
Which country in the world has the worst outdoor air pollution?
China
What does NAAQS stand for?
National Ambient Air Quality Standards
What is responsible for poor air quality in Tehran?
- Traffic/Car exhaust
- Limited public transportation forces people to rely on vehicles
- Cheap gas- vehicles use 4 times rate of European vehicles
Compare industrial smog and photochemical smog.
Industrial smog: gray-air smog from emissions
Photochemical smog: smog produced from reactions with light
Which part of the country has the worst acid deposition problem and why?
Northeast and Midwest, because they are near heavy industries
What causes acid rain?
Emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, largely through fossil fuel combustion by automobiles, electric utilities, and industrial facilities.
What is the pH of acid rain?
Below 5.6
Describe the process of ozone depletion.
- UV rays breaks the chlorine from the CFC
- Chlorine goes and grabs oxygen from ozone
- Chlorine brings oxygen and attaches to free oxygen
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 100,000 times
Compare the Montreal Protocol and the Kyoto Protocol.
Montreal protocol: (1987) 180 nations agreed to cut CFC production in half by 1998 to forestall ozone depletion
- Very successful
Kyoto protocol: (1997-drafted) agreement reducing emissions of 6 greenhouse gases by 2012 to levels of 1990
- Where does most of the anthropogenic greenhouse gas emission in the US come from?
Industrialization, and inefficient, carbon emitting vehicles.
What Greenhouse gas has increased in concentration the most since 1750?
Methane
What are the relative heat trapping capacities of various greenhouse gasses?
Heat trapping capacities: CO2=1, Methane (CH4)=25, NOx=298, CFCs=14,800
Describe the greenhouse effect.
Greenhouse gases absorb infrared radiation emitted from the surface, then re-emits it in all directions. Some of it is lost to space and some travels back down and warms the atmosphere.
What anthropogenic factors affect climate change?
- Fossil fuel use
- Deforestation
- Greenhouse gas emissions
List some market based methods for addressing climate change.
Permit trading programs, carbon tax/ fee and dividend, carbon offset
